Careful therapeutic introduction into classroom and group setting for students who need more time to transition

Get the best of both worlds: Dynamic Minds Academy

All the benefits of a public school. All the benefits of a supportive, therapeutic environment

Dynamic Minds Academy will fill gaps in treatment and education by bridging evidence-based treatments and practices for an optimal learning environment.

The Hope Source (THS) began offering modern and innovative, direct therapeutic services for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in February of 2009. Initial efforts of adding the education component to The Hope Source resulted in strong academic growth and a clarified vision for combining educational and therapeutic services within a single facility. As this initial step, a partnership with Indiana Cyber Charter School (2013 – 2015) allowed the staff to assist students with an online, virtual classroom curriculum; but a lack of local control, curriculum limitations, and organizational issues within Indiana Cyber slowed progress and forced an end to that relationship. In 2016, The Hope Source partnered with Options Charter Schools to provide the virtual classroom component along with an on-site educational liaison. With students enrolled in a public charter school, THS provided therapy services for their students who spent their school and therapy day on THS premises. While each partnership moves student opportunities forward, the full vision remained unfilled.

A non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, Dynamic Minds Academy (DMA) will serve students (K-12) with ASD. The initial target audience is central Indiana, but by year three, DMA will be ready to expand the educational program to additional sites throughout the state. This school will provide an innovative choice for parents who desire a forty-eight-week academic year, and access to a public-school education that is efficiently and effectively integrated with modern therapeutic services for their children. With the focus on maximizing the enormous potential for these students, lost time from transporting students between a school and a therapy site, as is often the case when attempting to provide needed therapy, will be eliminated. Additionally, therapists will frequently work alongside educators, integrating the educational and therapy services seamlessly. In this model, communication is optimized, time is optimized, and a professional team is truly synchronized through an entire calendar year.